Coiling of continuous strip metal



y 14, 1940- F. K. SCHEFE COILING 0F CONTINUOUS STRIP METAL Filed July15, 1938 Patented May 14, 1940 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE '4 Claims.

This invention relates to the manufacture of continuous strip metal, andparticularly to a method and apparatus for coiling the same.

It has been suggested that rolled metal be manufactured of especiallythin gauge metal such as tin plate, by the continuous strip method. Inorder to realize all the advantages of such a method, it is necessary tooperate the rolling mill continuously at a high speed. This is entirelypractical, as the short strips can be successively welded together bymeans of a flash.welder,

passed through the rolls of the mill, and thestrlp cut by means of aflying shear, but heretofore it has been a problem to coil the strip atsuch high speed; that is, after the desired amount of strip material iswound on one reel, it is difficult to transfer the coiling operationsfrom one coiler or reel to another for the reason that in continuousstrip rolling, the rolling mill usually delivers the strip at a rate offrom 900 to 1400 feet per minute, and, as an example, a delay of tenseconds would result in the piling up or accumulation of from 150 to 230feet of uncoiled strip, which is very undesirable, thereby making suchhigh speed rolling impractical and defeating the other advantages gainedby the use of the continuous strip method.

According to the present invention, the strip can be successively andefiiciently coiled at any speed at which it is desired to operate therolling mill.

It is one object of the present invention to provide an improved meansfor coiling continuous strip metal whereby the coiling operations can bequickly and convenientlytransferred from one reel to another withoutinterfering with the continuous movement of the strip, thereby allowingcontinuous rolling and other operations to be performed thereon.

It is another object of the invention to provide a method and apparatusfor coiling continuous strip metal whereby the uncoiled portion of thestrip is automatically directed to the proper reel or coiling means.

It is a further object of the invention to provide an improved methodand apparatus for coiling continuous strip metal which is simple andinexpensive in its construction, whereby the strip is accurately andsafely conveyed to the proper coiling means.

Various other objects and advantages of this invention will be moreapparent in the course of the following specification and will beparticularly pointed out in the appended claims.

In the accompanying drawing there is shown, for the purpose ofillustration, one embodiment which my invention may assume in practice.

In the drawing:

Figure 1 is a side elevation showing schematic- 5 ally the arrangementof the improved coiling apparatus of my invention; and,

Figure 2 is an enlarged view of the improved coiling apparatus showingit more in detail.

Referring more particularly to the drawing, there is shown a rollingmill stand 2, having arranged at the delivery end thereof anelectrolimit gauge 3, a plurality of tension rolls 4, a flying shear 5,strip guides 6 and a pair of billy rolls I.

According to this invention, there is located at the delivery end of therolling mill, beyond the flying shear and billy rolls, a pair of windingreels 8, 9 which are driven by any suitable means (not shown), thewinding reel 9 being preferably positioned at a lower level than thewinding reel 8, as shown. These reels are adapted to coil the continuousstrip I 0 as it is delivered thereto.

There is arranged above the strip I0 an endless conveyer belt I2extending around a stationary pulley I3 which is driven, in any suitablemanner, around a reel 8 and the movable pulleys I4,

I5 and I6. There is arranged below the strip I9 another endless conveyerbelt I'I extending around a stationary pulley I8, which also may bedriven,

in any suitable manner, around the reel 9 and movable pulleys I9, 20 and2I. There is positioned below the strip Ill and conveyer belt I1 stillanother endless conveyer belt 22 extending around 5 a driven pulley 23,which is positioned directly opposite and just below the driven pulleyI3, and around a fixed pulley 24.

There is arranged above the strip, just beyond the billy rolls and thedriven pulleys I3 and 23, 40 a pair'of air jets 25, and opposite these,on the underside of the strip, a similar pair of air jets 26, thepurpose of which will be described later in the specification. There isalso positioned below the strip I0, just above the movable pulley I4,another air jet 21 and still another air jet 28 similarly positionedabove the movable pulley I9.

The coiling of the continuous strip is performed as follows:

It will be assumed that the strip is being coiled on the reel 9. Instarting the coil of the strip on reel 9, the conveyer belts I l ispositioned as shown in the full lines of Figure 2, but after the coilinghas been started and a few convolutions of the strip have been wound onthe reel 9, con- 66 veyer belt II, together with pulleys I9, 20 and 2|,is moved by a mechanism (not shown) upwardly, away from the reel 9, to aposition as shown in the broken lines of Figure 2, parallel to conveyerbelt I2, and the belt made taut by a vertically movable pulley 29 movedto position against the bottom of the belt, preferably by pneumaticmeans (not shown), ready for the transfer of the coiling operations.

After the desired amount of metal has been coiled on the reel 9, theconveyer belts I2 and I! are put into motion at approximately the samespeed as that of the strip as it is being delivered from the billyrolls, and the air jets 26 and 2'! turned on so that air pressure isexerted against the bottom side of the strip. The flying shear 5 is thenmade to operate so as to completely sever the strip. The ends resultingfrom the shearing of the strip then pass between the billy rolls I, withthe trailing end of the coiled portion of the strip passing along theconveyer belt 22 onto the reel 9 to complete the coiling of that portionof the strip, while the leading end of the uncoiled portion of the stripis forced upwardly against the bottom side of the conveyer belt I2 andmade to pass over the driven pulley I8 between the conveyer belts I2 andI1, onto and around the coiling reel 8. As the leading end of the stripapproaches the reel 8, it is forced upwardly against the bottom side ofthe conveyer belt I2 by the air pressure issuing forth from air jet 2?so as to insure the passage of the end around the reel to properly startthe coiling of the strip thereon.

After the start of the coiling of the strip on reel 8, the conveyer beltI2, together with the pulleys I4, I5 and I6, is moved upwardly bymechanism (not shown) away from the reel, as shown in the broken linesof Figure 2, and made taut by means of another vertically movable pulley30, also preferably moved to position by pneumatic means (not shown),against the bottom side of the conveyer belt I2; and the conveyer beltI'I, together with the pulleys I9, 20 and 2|, is moved downwardly toassume a position around the reel 9, as shown in the full lines ofFigure 2. The air jets 26 and 21 are then turned off and the air jets 25on top of the strip turned on so as to exert pressure on that side ofthe strip. The flying shear is then operated so as to again sever thestrip I0 and, as the leading edge of the uncoiled portion of the stripcomes to position below the air jets 25, it is forced downwardly againstthe top side of the conveyer belt 22 and thereby made to pass betweenthe belts IT and 22 onto and around the reel 9. The air jet 28 is turnedon also at the same time the air jets 25 are turned on, thereby forcingthe leading edge of the strip upwardly against the lower portion of theendless belt I! to insure the passage of the end of the strip around thereel 9 to properly start the coiling thereon.

It will be seen that the coiling operations are transferred from onereel to the other as described until the desired amount of strip iscoiled or the entire length of the strip is coiled. In each case, aftera few convolutions of the strip have been wound on the reel, the endlessconveyer belts I2 and I! are moved to a position away from the reels,ready for the transfer of the coiling operations and to prevent unduewear to these belts as it is their purpose only to direct the leadingedge of the uncoiled portion of the strip to the reels at the time oftransferring the coiling operations.

There is shown compressed air jets for defiecting the leading end of thestrip, but it will be understood that any suitable means, such asmagnets, vacuum means, or any suitable mechanical or other means, may beprovided that will exert sufiicient pressure thereagainst to insure thestart of the coiling. There are also shown billy rolls 1 for directingthe strip to the endless belts I2 and 22, but it will be understood thatthese billy rolls can be dispensed with and the driven pulleys I3 and 23positioned directly opposite the flying shear 5; but it is thought thatsuch billy rolls will aid in properly guiding the edges of the strip toand between the conveyer belts and pulleys.

It will be understood that any number of reels may be provided forcoiling the strip and suitably arranged so that the coiling operationscan be transferred successively to the reels, as desired, but there areshown only two reels for the purpose of illustration.

As a result of my invention, it will be seen that the coiling operationscan be quickly and easily transferred from one reel to another withoutstopping the movement of the strip, thereby allowing continuousfabricating of the strip from the time the successive short strips areflash welded together to form the continuous strip until the strip isfinally coiled and ready for use.

While I have shown and described one embodiment of my invention, it willbe understood that this embodiment is merely for the purpose ofillustration and description and that various other forms may be devisedwithin the scope of my invention, as defined in the appended claims Iclaim:

1. Means for coiling continuous strip metal including, in combination,means for continuously supplying the strip, a plurality of reels forreceiving the strip, a retractable endless conveyer belt disposed aroundeach of said reels, means for directing the strip to position betweenone of the reels and its respective endless conveyer belt, said endlessconveyer belt being adapted to direct the strip around said reel so asto coil a portion of the same thereon, and means for alternately cuttingand directing the uncoiled portion of the strip successively to positionbetween another of said reels and its respective endless conveyer beltso as to coil the desired amount of strip material successively on eachof them.

2. Means for coiling continuous strip material including, incombination, means for continuously supplying the strip, a pair of reelsfor receiving the strip with one positioned below the other, an endlessconveyer belt disposed around each of said reels, means for directingthe end of the strip to position between one of the reels and itsrespective endless conveyer belt, said endless conveyer belt adapted todirect the strip around said reel so as to coil a portion of the samethereon, means for cutting the strip after the desired amount has beencoiled thereon and means for directing the end of the uncoiled portionof the strip between the other reel and its respective endless conveyerbelt, said strip thereafter adapted to be alternately cut and directedto position between each of said reels and their respective endlessconveyer belts so as to coil the desired amount of the strip on each ofthe reels throughout the coiling operation.

3. Means for coiling continuous strip metal including, in combination,means for continuously supplying the strip, a pair of reels forreceiving the strip with one positioned slightly above and beyond theother, a retractable endless conveyer belt disposed in one positionaround each of the reels so that they are positioned one above theother, means for directing the end of the strip between the rectractableendless conveyer belts to position between the upper reel and itsrespective endless conveyer belt, said endless conveyer belt adapted todirect the strip around said reel so as to coil a portion of the samethereon, means for moving the upper endless conveyer belt to a retractedposition away from the upper reel after the coiling of the strip on saidreel has begun, means for cutting the strip while the same is in motionafter the desired amount of the same has been coiled thereon, means fordirecting the end of the uncoiled portion of the strip between the lowerreel and its respective endless conveyer belt so as to coil a portion ofthe strip thereon, and means for moving the lowermost retractableendless conveyer belt to a retracted position away from the reel afterthe coiling of the strip on that reel has begun, said strip thereafteradapted to be alternately cut and directed to position between each ofsaid reels and their respective endless conveyer belts so as to coil thedesired amount of the strip on each of the reels throughout the coilingoperation.

4. Means for coiling continuous strip metal including, in combination,means for continuously supplying the strip, a pair of reels forreceiving the strip with one positioned above and beyond the other, apair of retractable endless conveyer belts with one being relativelylong and disposed in one position around the upper reel and the otherbeing relatively short and disposed in one position directly below theother around the lower reel, another endless conveyer belt angularlydisposed below the lowermost retractable endless conveyer belt, andadapted to cooperate with said lowermost retractable endless conveyerbelt, said lowermost retractable endless conveyer belt adapted to bedisposed in one position so as to cooperate with said upperretractableendless conveyer belt to aid in guiding the strip to the upper reel,means for directing the end of the strip between the upper and lowerretractable endless conveyer belts, means for directing the end of thestrip between the upper reel and its respective endless conveyer belt,said latter endless conveyer belt adapted to direct the strip aroundsaid reel so as to coil a portion of the strip thereon, means for movingthe upper endless conveyer belt upwardly to a retracted position awayfrom the upper reel after the coiling of the strip on said reel hasbegun, means for cutting the strip while the same is in motion after thedesired amount of the same has been coiled thereon, means for directingthe end of the uncoiled portion of the strip between the lowermostretractable endless conveyer belt and the angularly disposed endlessconveyer belt positioned therebelow whereby the strip is guided to thelower reel, means for directing the end of the strip between the lowerreel and its respective retractable endless conveyer belt so as to coila portion of the strip thereon, and means for moving the lowerretractable endless conveyer belt to a retracted position directly belowsaid upper retractable endless conveyer belt aiter the coiling of thestrip on the lower reel has begun, said strip thereafter adapted to bealternately cut and directed as described to position between each ofsaid reels and their respective retractable endless conveyer belts so asto coil the desired amount of the strip on each of the reels throughoutthe cooling operation.

FREDERICK K. SCHEFE.

